A couple of years back, Motorola announced the Moto Watch 100, an affordable smartwatch that unfortunately didn’t manage to impress a lot of folks, at least based on several reviews that we’ve seen online. After all, the manufacturer was known for the Moto 360, a fan-favourite smartwatch that showcased what Android-based wearables were capable of.
With that in mind, it seems that Motorola has finally pushed forward with the launch of a new smart wearable device, named the Moto Watch 40. It’s an affordable fitness tracker priced at just around $65.00 for buyers in North America, and while it’s yet to make its way across the pond, we’ve decided to take a quick look at what it offers.
External Design
In terms of looks, the Moto Watch 40 doesn’t exactly aim to reinvent the wheel – it features a tried-and-tested design that we’ve seen on countless other fitness trackers, thanks to its rectangular form factor which differentiates it from the more “traditional” look of the Moto Watch 100. The Watch 40’s casing is made from aluminium, which is always a nice touch especially on more affordable devices. It’s a simple setup as well, and features a single action button on the side for input, in addition to a touch display.
Speaking of the display, the Moto Watch 40 packs a 1.75-inch LCD screen, which serves as the users’ main gateway into the devices’s many software functions. Of course, there are a number of sensors built in for health metric tracking, which include a heart rate monitor, SPO2 monitor, as well as an accelerometer. Other features include an IP67 rating, two different colour variants which include a black and rose gold version, as well as removable straps. Motorola adds that the device’s 240 mAh can last for up to ten days’ worth of usage on a single charge.
Software Features
Motorola advertises the Watch 40 as being designed for “deep integration” with Google Fit, so users can sync their daily activities, rest, vitals and more directly to Google Fit, as well as integration with dozens of other fitness tracking apps. As with most other fitness trackers, the device comes with its own custom operating system in the form of Moto Watch OS, with support for Bluetooth connectivity. There doesn’t seem to be any Wifi support however, so software updates and data syncing will have to go through a user’s smartphone.
For fitness tracking, the Moto Watch 40 does feature 24/7 tracking, so users’ sleep habits, daily vitals, heart rate, and sports activities are easily monitored by the watch. Moto Watch OS also allows for a bit of customization, and users will have around 85 different watch faces to choose from. At the moment however there’s no specific launch date for the UK, so buyers who want to get their hands on the Moto Watch 40 as soon as possible will have to import one from the US for the time being.
